Turn shop displays yellow for Le Tour de Yorkshire

A firework celebration greeted the original announcement that the Tour de France was coming to Leeds. Picture Bruce Rollinson

Jonathan Brown

Shop windows are getting a Tour de France makeover in Ilkley, and we want businesses across Leeds to get involved too.

Organisers of the annual Ilkley Carnival, which will take on a Tour de Yorkshire theme this year, are asking retailers to go yellow and get creative by dressing their windows up ahead of Le Tour’s landmark arrival in Yorkshire on July 5 and 6.

The wheels are already in motion for the May 5 carnival. A May Day parade led by stunt cyclists, live entertainment and a fair are among the attractions alongside the two-wheeled shop window display competition, which will see the winner awarded £850 of free public relations from sponsors Approach PR.

The competition comes as we encourage readers to send in their pictures and stories of them embracing the yellow theme of the Tour de France through our multimedia #yellowyorkshire campaign.

Nicola Furbisher, managing editor of the YEP, is hopeful that shop windows across the region will have a yellow glow this summer. She said: “The once-in-a-lifetime visit of the Tour is an opportunity not to be missed, so we want businesses to get in the cycling spirit of the iconic race by going yellow with us.

“The likes of Sir Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish will be racing through the county in a matter of months, so why not celebrate a year to remember through #yellowyorkshire?”

Ilkley Carnival’s Tour theme was selected after talks with parents who have put together over 1,000 costumes for children entering its annual parade.

The best Tour-themed shop window in Ilkley will be chosen during judging on May 2 and 3 before the winner is announced on May 8. Call 07885 200640 to enter or visit www.ilkleycarnival.org.

Suzanne Johns, managing director of Ilkley-based Approach PR, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for Ilkley traders to showcase their skills and individuality while supporting one of the town’s biggest annual events as well as the world’s most iconic cycle race.

“It would be amazing to see the county’s businesses follow Ilkley’s lead and go yellow to embrace the Tour de France.”

We’re encouraging businesses, schools and residents to get involved in #yellowyorkshire, whether it be through a colourful Tour-themed bake off, by sending in pictures of their yellow gardens or even dressing up in a bright yellow outfit and telling us about it. Visit www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/tdf or tweet @leedsnews using the #yellowyorkshire hashtag.

Our campaign will culminate in our Wear it Yellow Day on July 3, where we ask organisations to sign up and individuals who wear yellow on the day to donate £1 to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.